


Watermelon Sugar & Golden Sunflowers (Is what you taste like)

by kunfucious



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, M/M, Soulmates, inspired by the Fine Line album, like when u think of ur soulmate u taste their fav food, side noren, sorry chensung aren't in this i love them tho, sort of a song fic, soulmates share taste, they have to write a song about their soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-04
Updated: 2020-02-04
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:47:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,810
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22556551
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kunfucious/pseuds/kunfucious
Summary: In which when you think of your soulmate, you taste their favorite food, and hyuck finds himself craving the taste of watermelons."whether you’re happy or sad, it’s as if they know. and they leave you little hints saying ‘hey, it’s me. I’m here for you, through the good and the bad. If you can’t find the sun, just turn to me.’"
Relationships: Huang Ren Jun/Lee Jeno, Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee
Comments: 18
Kudos: 212
Collections: Markhyuck





	Watermelon Sugar & Golden Sunflowers (Is what you taste like)

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by the lyrics from Watermelon Sugar, Golden, and Sunflower by Harry Styles
> 
> (Almost named this "Taste the Feeling" but thought that was a little too cliche)

Donghyuck was a simple child. He was never much of a picky eater, liking all different types of food, but not favoring any in particular. It wasn’t until he had suddenly craved watermelons that his parents first began to get curious. They had told him stories of one person meant for him in the world that would make him happiest. And in those moments, his tongue burst with a gentle sweetness--- the taste of watermelons and fresh strawberries. As he grew older he realized just why he craved the taste of the fruits so much- it was the feeling of his soulmate. A shared experience, a split second of feeling that connected them. And Donghyuck wanted to keep tasting it for the rest of his life.

  
  


❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀

“You got any snacks?”

Renjun dug around in his backpack for a few seconds, not breaking eye contact with the professor, before throwing them at his friend sitting next to him. “You know we’re not supposed to eat in the lecture hall, right?” 

“Love you!” Renjun heard him open the bag with delicate movements so as not to draw attention to the fact he was eating in class, before he sighed to himself.

“Caramel candies? What are you, a grandma?” 

“What?” Renjun gave him a look. “If it bothers you don’t eat them.”

“No, it's ok. I actually really like them. They remind me of someone.”

“Who?”

Mark chuckled to himself. “I don’t know yet.”

  
  


✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯

  
  
  


It was the beginning of a new semester, meaning new classes with new professors to suck up to in order to pass his classes. Thankfully he had signed up for a few fun classes to help pass the time a little easier. As a music major, he decided to take a guitar class for an elective. It was a smaller class, and Donghyuck scanned the rows to find an empty seat and hopefully someone to talk to. He may be a music major, but he was more of a singer. Playing instruments was relatively new territory, so it wouldn’t hurt to make a few friends to help him out. 

He chose a seat towards the front, next to a nice looking guy.  _ Just start talking. It’s not that hard.  _ Despite Donghyuck’s generally bubbly exterior, he could be somewhat introverted when meeting new people. He exchanged greetings with the people sitting next to him, but it seemed they were already close friends, as they didn’t pay Donghyuck much mind, already engrossed in their phones.  _ Great. I just exiled myself on the first day. Nice going, Donghyuck. _

Mindlessly scrolling through social media, he heard the people next to him laugh at some inside joke. Suddenly he felt incredibly alone. In times like these, all he had to do was have a passing thought of his soulmate, and suddenly the taste of fruit lingers on his tongue reminding him that  _ I’m here. You’re not alone. You have me. _ And that was all it took to feel comfortable in his own skin again. 

  
  


❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀

  
  


Mark was looking forward to this class for a while. He already knew how to play the guitar (and was pretty damn good at it if he said so himself) so it was only natural that he take this class to get some easy credits for his transcript. What helped is he had Renjun in it too. Mark considered himself fairly sociable, but a familiar face was always very welcome. 

They were waiting for the professor to arrive, discussing the best Disney movie when a boy took a seat next to him. 

“Hi, I’m Donghyuck.”

“Mark.”

“Nice to meet you! I’m Huang Renjun.”

Renjun immediately nudged Mark, giving him a look. Mark glanced over to see Donghyuck now absorbed in his phone. “What?” he whispered aggressively to the other boy, who pulled out his phone and began typing quickly. He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, so he pulled it out to check his texts.

**Jun:** **_He’s pretty cute ;)))_ **

**_Me: Ewww don’t be greasy :///_ **

**** **_Jun: I mean you should hit him up_ **

****

**_Me: Dude we literally just met him wtf would i even say_ **

**_‘Hi you look like the human embodiment of sunshine_ **

**_Pls go on a date with me’_ **

****

**_Jun: Uhhhh,, yeah?_ **

**_Me: Ummm sorry im not as blunt as you_ **

**_Jun: ?? source?_ **

**** **_Me: WHEN U SAID TO MY ROOMATES FACE ‘I’D TAP THAT’_ **

**_Jun: HHHHHH PLS I GAY PANICKED_ **

**_Its not my fault jeno is a literal god_ **

Mark punches Renjun, and they both start laughing hysterically, drawing the attention of Donghyuck. He really was very beautiful, his skin almost… luminescent? There was no other way to describe him than being like the comforting warmth of the morning sun. It made him feel like looking at Donghyuck was like a sunflower, opening up its petals to greet the sun. The taste of warm caramel invaded his senses, all things golden wrapped him in an invisible hug. Thoughts of his soulmate were the sun breaking through the clouds, warming his skin and heart on a cold day. 

  
  


✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯

  
  


The late warmth of the summer began to blend into the chills of autumn, as Donghyuck found himself getting more and more engrossed in classes, assignments and papers piling up. His guitar class was supposed to be a “fun” class, but it seemed like the professor was trying to challenge them, because their midterm was a project: they had to create their own song. 

They were sorted into groups, and each group had to write a song based on one topic. And honestly, Donghyuck felt like they had drawn the shortest straw.  _ Love _ . Naturally, the topic his group got was a pretty popular one, but at the same time it was a topic so broad that it could have endless interpretations. Donghyuck had never really been in a relationship before, so he couldn’t exactly draw from experience to use as inspiration. Thankfully, he was in a group with the people next to him, who he had managed to become friends with in no time at all.

“Wow… love.” Renjun had an expression of deep contemplation, before he broke out into a smile again. “Do you have any idea what to write about yet Donghyuck?”

He sighed. “Honestly, not really.”

“I feel like there’s a lot of ways you could take it,” Mark helpfully supplied. “I mean it doesn’t have to mean romantic love. You could write about friends or family I guess.”

Donghyuck nodded. “Yeah, that’s more along my lines I guess. I’ve never really been in a relationship so…” He laughed nervously.

“I wouldn’t count on that for much longer,” Renjun muttered, wagging his eyebrows at Mark, before he got a slug in the stomach from the latter.

“What did you say? Sorry, I didn’t hear…”

“He was asking if you wanted to meet up later? I can start working on figuring out a melody, and maybe we can brainstorm lyrics later at my dorm?”

“Sounds good! I’ll text you later!”

The professor dismissed them, and Donghyuck packed up his belongings, exiting the classroom with a smile on his face. He reached in his pocket, and pulled out a lollipop, unwrapping it and popping it in his mouth, the artificial taste of watermelon making him break into a gentle smile.

  
  


❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀

  
  


“Hey Jeno, Renjun is coming over later, oh and one of my friends--”

Jeno looked up from where he was sitting on the couch, engrossed in typing on his laptop. “Renjun?”

“Selective hearing much?” Mark smirked to himself. For all of Renjun’s bluntness, he was damn near oblivious to Jeno liking him, their mutual flirting never really going anywhere. 

Just then, Mark got a text that Hyuck was here, followed by a gentle knock at the door. He goes to open the door, ushering Donghyuck in, and introduces him to Jeno.

They sit for a few minutes, Mark finally pulling out his guitar, and strumming a few chords. 

“I didn’t really come up with a lot yet, I wanted to wait for you guys so we can work on it together.”

“No it sounds really good so far! Do you mind if I…” Donghyuck reached out for Mark’s guitar, gingerly taking it into his lap, before closing his eyes for a few moments, and testing out different chord progressions. 

Renjun waltzes in unceremoniously, taking a seat next to Jeno, the latter visibly tensing. “You guys really need to start locking your door.” He glances over at Donghyuck, still absorbed in figuring out the melody of their song. “Ooh, sounds good! Has the inspiration hit yet?” 

“Not really. Just messin’ around.”

“So you guys are making a song together?” Jeno asks.

Renjun turned to him, nodding. “We’re attempting. The concept is ‘love,’ so if you have any groundbreaking ideas, please enlighten us.”

Jeno scrunched up his face in thought, his expression lighting up after a moment. “I know, what about soulmates? You guys could write about your soulmates!”

Mark grabbed a piece of paper lying on the coffee table, scribbling down the idea. 

“Wow, your brain is so large,” Renjun turns to Jeno. “Except you forget none of us have met our soulmates.”

“Well, I guess you could write about the tastes?”

“Like, what it reminds you of, or what we think our soulmates are like?” Donghyuck contributed.

“Exactly. Like for example… when I think of my soulmate, I taste lotus mooncakes. So it kind of reminds me of fall, the color orange, the feeling of petting a puppy. That kind of stuff.”

“Lotus...” Renjun murmurs to himself.

Mark chuckles at his roommate. “You are surprisingly poetic. Are you sure you don’t want to write this song for us?”

Jeno smiles dazzlingly. “If I wasn’t writing this research paper due tonight, then for sure. But for now I think I gotta sit this one out.” 

“You’ll still keep us company, right?” Renjun asked, putting on his best puppy dog eyes.

“Anything for you Junnie~” He said sweetly, to which the latter faked a gagging noise.

✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯

They worked on their song for a while, each coming up with their own set of lyrics to present to the others. 

“I’ll go first!” Renjun called before the other two protested.

**_I’m confident_ **

**_Soft Chewing Gum_ **

**_I approach you, carefully_ **

**_My heart is_ **

**_Blown to its limit, Chewing Gum_ **

**_It’s so curious how we_ **

**_Keep running into each other_ **

**_We walk the same path_ **

**_Together every day_ **

**_When will I get a chance to talk to you_ **

**_It feels like my heart is filled with you_ **

**_You are my Chewing Gum_ **

“What do you think?” He asked, playing with his fingers absentmindedly. Jeno’s head shot up, locking eyes with Renjun. 

“Your taste is… bubblegum?”

“... yeah? And you said yours was lotus mooncakes. I don’t get what’s so weird about my--”

Jeno slammed his laptop shut, tossing it onto the couch behind him, getting up and grabbing Renjun’s arm to pull him off the couch.

“Wait, we’re not done--” Mark began to protest, but Jeno and Renjun were already out the door. 

Hyuck stared at the door for a few seconds before turning back to Mark, but not before he noticed the pile of gum wrappers next to Jeno’s backpack on his side of the room. His suspicion is only confirmed when Mark speaks.

“Well, they’re probably gonna be a while. Maybe we should call it a day?”

Hyuck nods in agreement.

❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀

They meet at a table outside a coffee shop the next week, Jeno now a permanent addition to Renjun’s side. While they acted so grossly, the look of utter adoration on their faces makes Mark coo.  _ That could be me one day.  _

“Well, I guess you were onto something about writing about soulmates,” Renjun chuckled at his soulmate, snuggling into Jeno’s side, Jeno instinctively tightening his arm around the latter. 

“I’m always right.”   
  


Mark scoffs. “Hardly. You just got lucky.” 

“I mean, I am quite the catch,” Renjun laughs.

“Ok lovebirds, let’s keep the flirting to a minimum,” Donghyuck took a sip of his caramel latte. “Or I’m gonna yak up my drink.”

Mark takes out his guitar, “Ok, we can use Renjun’s lyrics as the chorus maybe? And Hyuck and I can figure out the melody and lyrics for the other verses. I actually came up with a little bit already.”

“Oh?” Renjun sits up, squirming out of Jeno’s hold. “Let’s hear it then.”

Mark takes out his notebook, where he has the lyrics scribbled next to some chord ideas, and begins softly singing.

**_Know you were way too bright for me_ **

**_I'm hopeless, broken, so you wait for me in the sky_ **

**_Brown my skin just right_ **

**_You're so golden_ **

“It’s not a whole lot yet, I just thought I’d put it out there…”

“No, I love it!” Hyuck beams, and Mark feels himself visibly redden at the compliment. “Did you write about your soulmate too?” 

“Well, roughly. I dunno, they remind me of the sun? I guess. Sorry, that sounds a little weird to say..” His sentence rambles off.

“I don’t think it's weird. That’s really sweet.”

“Huh,” Renjun looks to Jeno, “That’s funny, Mark also said that when he first saw Hy--”

Mark kicked his foot out under the table, sending Renjun a wordless warning, which thankfully he takes. Mark couldn’t really explain it himself, but his soulmate gave him that same warm comforting feeling as Hyuck did.  _ If Renjun could just keep his damn mouth shut-- _

“Anyways, don’t you two have somewhere to be?” Mark suddenly shifted the conversation, staring down the couple. Jeno, like a true friend, seemed to get the hint.

“Oh, that’s right, our movie is soon!”

“What movie?” Renjun looked to his soulmate, confusion riddling his face.

“Haha, let’s get going, they are probably still on the previews!” Jeno dragged Renjun along with him, and Mark had to laugh at the deja vu of the situation. 

He turned to Donghyuck, only to find him already looking at Mark with a quizzical look. 

“What’s up with them?”

“Dunno, must be a soulmate thing.”

  
  


✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯

They sit for a while, Donghyuck scrolling through his phone absentmindedly and Mark tapping his pen against his notebook rhythmically.

Mark sighs. “We’re not really getting anywhere.”

“I’m like… fresh out of inspiration. Also, I’m more of a singer, never really did the songwriting thing before.” Donghyuck scrolls to a picture of a dog, double tapping before he all but slams it on the table, making Mark flinch.

“I got it! Let’s go on an adventure together.”

Mark looks at Donghyuck like he’s grown two heads. “Look, I love a good road trip, but we have a song to work on. We can’t keep slacking.”

“We can’t keep beating our heads against the wall trying to get inspired either. So let’s get some fresh air, a change of scenery. It’ll help us come up with something.”

Mark pauses, probably realizing that it is futile to argue with Donghyuck, and reluctantly starts packing up his things.

“... Alright.” 

“Alright! What are we waiting for? Let’s get a move on! Where to first?”

Hyuck calls shotgun (just for the sake of it, pointless since now it’s only the two of them) and pulls up directions on his phone. He couldn’t help the excitement bubbling up inside of him. Sure, he’d hung out with Mark before, but it had only really been school related. Something about being around Mark just brought that subtle comfort, like the cool sweetness that lingers on your tongue after sipping lemonade on a hot day. Mark was just… comfortable. 

❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀

After petting countless dogs at the local park, ordering fancy desserts to share, they neared their last stop.

“... a farmer’s market?”

“What?” Mark looked at him, chuckling. “You’re not still hungry?”

“After all that cake?? How can you still be eating!”

“What can I say, it’s a talent,” Mark winked.

They browse the aisles for a while, Donghyuck picking up a bag of caramel popcorn to share, and Mark browses the fruits. Smiling widely, he picks up a watermelon. 

“Mark.” Donghyuck looks at him disapprovingly. “Are you really gonna carry around a whole watermelon?”

“Of course not.” He walks out of the way of the stalls, to an empty spot on the ground, laying down some napkins he procured from a nearby table. And lifts the watermelon above his head, watching it smash into jagged pieces as Donghyuck looks on in horror. 

“What the hell Mark?!”

Mark just calmly sits down, picking up a piece and begins happily munching. Donghyuck gives up, taking a seat and grabbing one of the pieces as well.

“You’re surprisingly pretty good company.”

“You’re not bad yourself.”

They chew for a while in quiet, before Donghyuck suddenly taps his shoulder, pointing to the distance. “We’re right next to the ocean. I didn’t even realize.”

The sky had few clouds, and the sea stretched out in all directions. There were some cliffs, weathered by decades of rain and wind into delicate features. A grassy hill lead down to the beach, slightly obscured by the cliffs, so you could almost miss it. But as he looked closer, there were the unmistakable dots of yellow swaying gently in the breeze.

“Sunflowers.”

Hyuck looked up from his eating to look in the direction Mark was focused on, spotting them at last.

“Wow, I didn’t know they could grow near the ocean?”

“Me neither,” Mark admitted. “Then again, I don’t really know much about sunflowers so I can’t say myself. But I do remember reading something somewhere… what was it?”

They got up and began the trek towards the field. It wasn’t that far, and they reached it after only a few minutes. Mark watched as Hyuck gently traced his fingertips over the petals, and plucking the stem before offering it to Mark. 

He looked at the beaming smile on Hyuck’s face as he held out the flower, and the nostalgic taste of vanilla and caramel, honey and sugar returned yet again. 

“I remembered it,” he tenderly grabbed the flower from the latter, hands brushing slightly. “I heard once that when sunflowers can’t find the sun, like on a cloudy day or whatever, they face each other.”

“That’s actually… really endearing.” Hyuck looked to the flowers surrounding them, searching for any pairs of flowers following that pattern.

“Right? I thought so too.”

“I feel like it reminds me of soulmates. I don’t know how to describe it… but it’s like whether you’re happy or sad, any emotion really, it’s as if they know. And they leave you little hints saying ‘ _ hey, it’s me. I’m here for you, through the good and the bad. If you can’t find the sun, just turn to me _ .’”

✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯

Hyuck walks into his apartment to find his roommate Jaemin sitting on the couch drinking coffee and staring suspiciously at him. If Jaemin ever had a motherly aura, this was definitely the same feeling as a parent staying up to question why their kid was out so late. 

“Don’t look at me like that.”

“You amaze me. What were you doing for 4 hours? Did Mark force you to stay until you finished the song or something?”

“We were really gone for 4 hours? And no, he didn’t hold me hostage or anything like that,” Hyuck immediately explained. “We actually had a lot of fun together. We went on a little .. field trip for inspiration.”

“Oh my god.  _ Dude _ . You totally went on a date.” A smirk formed on Jaemin’s lips. Before Hyuck could even begin to dispute it, he felt a buzz from his pocket, so he plucked out his phone and scanned the screen.

**_Did you get in ok?_ **

**_Mark, you walked me to my door.._ **

**_Oh_ **

**_Right._ **

**_Well still just making sure haha_ **

**_I had a lot of fun with u today_ **

**_I had a lot of fun too :)_ **

**_Actually, it did help me come up with more ideas_ **

**_Oooooo_ **

**_I’d love to hear (if u dont mind)_ **

**_Yeah of course!_ **

**_Gimme a sec_ **

**_:))) !!_ **

  
  


After shooing Jaemin to his own room, he took a deep breath, pressed record, and began singing the lyrics softly.

❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀

  
  


**_Tastes like strawberries on a summer evening_ **

**_And it sounds just like a song_ **

**_I want more berries and that summer feeling_ **

**_It's so wonderful and warm_ **

**_Breathe me in, breathe me out_ **

**_I don't know if I could ever go without_ **

**_I'm just thinking out loud_ **

**_I don't know if I could ever go without_ **

**_Watermelon sugar high_ **

  
  


Mark had no idea that Donghyuck had such a beautiful singing voice. He let it wash over him like gentle waves, taking in the softness of the sound. He restarted the recording, to pay more attention to the words this time. 

Then it hit him.  _ Strawberries, watermelon. Was it just a coincidence? _ He thought about Donghyuck, and the rush of warmth and taste of all things sweet flooded his senses. He wasn’t really sure how he hadn’t noticed (or… rather  _ tasted)  _ the feeling before. All the signs pointed to Donghyuck. If Mark was a sunflower, he had found his sun.

✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯

Donghyuck’s phone rang, and he was greeted by an excited voice on the other end. 

“Donghyuck!”

“Did you like it?”

He could almost feel Mark smiling through the phone. “I loved it. That’s not why I called though.”

“Hmm? What’s up?”

“I realize that I never got to ask you… When you think of your soulmate, you taste watermelon?”

_ That’s right.  _ He heard Renjun and Jeno talk about it before, even Jaemin occasionally. But he never knew what Mark’s was, and aside from the lyrics just now, he had never told Mark about his taste. 

_ “ _ Yeah, It’s usually just watermelon, or strawberries _.”  _ The simple yet strong sweetness of fruit, it made him think of his childhood. And suddenly, the image of Mark smiling while holding the pieces of broken watermelon comes back to him, and that same flavor blooms on his taste buds, stronger than ever before. “Why do you ask?”

“Just wanted to confirm something. Some… inspiration hit. I think I finished the song,” Mark began, “And I wanted you to hear it now.” 

“Wait, you never told me what you taste,” Donghyuck pouted.

“Me? Well, I taste a lot of things. Always sweet things, like honey or sugar, but most often, caramel. My friends in elementary school teased me because I would always carry caramels in my pocket.”

“Wait, caramel? Mark, do you think--,” Donghyuck began, before being cut off by Mark’s gentle and calm tone.

“Shhh. Just listen.”

There was some rustling on the other end of the line before Mark’s soft voice flowed through the phone.

**_Sunflower_ **

**_Sunflower_ **

**_My eyes_ **

**_Want you more than a melody_ **

**_Let me inside_ **

**_Wish I could get to know you_ **

**_Keep it sweet in your memory_ **

**_I'm still tongue-tied_ **

**_Sunflower, sunflower_ **

**_“Donghyuck, If you’re the sun, I’m your sunflower.”_ **

_ “And you’re my watermelon sugar.” _

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I love to hear what people think, so please don't be shy~ I also make social media aus! my twitter is @KUNFUCI0US.


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